


Heshtal Sentinel of Ossus Temple

by WhiteRaven1178



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Battle Droids (Star Wars), Clone Wars, Death Watch (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Original Character(s), Gen, Gray Jedi, Jawas (Star Wars), Jedi, Jedi Master Dooku, Original Character(s), Planet Coruscant (Star Wars), Planet Mandalore (Star Wars), Planet Nal Hutta (Star Wars), Planet Ossus (Star Wars), References to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Togruta (Star Wars), Trade Federation (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:08:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26769262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteRaven1178/pseuds/WhiteRaven1178
Kudos: 3





	1. Diplomatic Escapades

She woke with a start, sweat beading down her forehead and into her eyes as she bolted upright. Heshtal had seen that face before. Cold, calculating, cruel. It was one that continued to haunt her dreams coming back to her over and over again serving as a reminder of her failure. Her right hand instinctually grabbed the cold metal of her left arm as her shoulder began acting up with the memory of that day. How could she have not seen or felt it coming. She should have sensed that danger before it struck. Standing up, she swung her arms in circles to release the built up tension. Rays of rising sunlight began to spill through her small window and pool on the floor next to her sleeping mat. A new day with new possibilities and new ways for her to navigate her communication and communion with the presence that lived alongside her in her head.

It had only been recently that she had passed her Jedi trials before the council, but even that had been a difficult task. Ever since the death of her master, Yarell, Heshtal had always been an unstable one that few desired to continue teaching. That is, other than her friend Master Dooku. He was more of a father figure than a friend though. When Master Yarell had met his end in his last battle, Dooku had taken her under his wing and continued to teach her saber skills and stances that increased her talents. He had even helped her mend her broken mind that had become two separate entities upon the loss of her arm. While both her present personality as well as her alter ego still were quite separate, Heshtal had learned how to navigate the disparity between them and let each one navigate life side by side. One took care of her emotions and led the majority of her life while the other was the embodiment of her saber skills melded with very few emotions beyond saving others in danger. Somehow, Dooku had guided her down this path that, if she were alone, would have resulted in her expulsion from the Jedi order all together.

Donning her brown and blue robes, wrapping and concealing her left arms metal exterior, before finally lashing her saber to her hip, Heshtal left her chamber and proceeded to the library where she spent most of her days. That is, when she wasn’t on missions or honing her saber forms. It had been a while since she had last seen her old friend Dooku, whenever she had inquired about his whereabouts she was informed that he was on a mission in another star system. Little more information was divulged, much to her dismay. She did have a few things to keep her busy though. Recently, having just returned from a mission on Nal Hutta, she had found herself in possession of a “misplaced” slicer’s kit. She knew that it was a valuable commodity among the underground but needed to gain a better understanding of its unique uses through research and experimentation. Unfortunately, the experimentation meant that she would have to find an excuse to leave the temple. Due to her unstable nature, the council usually did everything they could to keep her contained within the walls of the temple so as to limit the case of an “accident” occurring during her outings. This meant when she left the temple it was always accompanied by a sentinel or a fellow Jedi Knight. Heshtal had been working to obtain the position of sentinel within the Oder, but was never deemed disciplined enough and so she continued as a knight and a diplomatic envoy. Before the loss of her arm she had been an invaluable asset to the Jedi Order as her way with words gave her the upper hand during diplomatic missions, as while she still possessed the wit necessary to be supremely successful in this position, few on the council wished her to stay within the order. One such Jedi, Master Windu, had tried many times to get her expelled from the Order, so far, without success.

Sitting down at a Jedi library research table, Heshtal began to access all knowledge the Order had obtained about her secret spoil, the slicer’s kit. After passing through many, many files with the names of known slicers, Heshtal began to uncover methods of bypassing the kit’s self-destruct mechanisms as well as ways of customizing the tool to her own personal specifications. She smiled to herself as she imagined the mountains of knowledge that this kit could bring her and provide her insight about. Specifically, aspects of the Order that were hidden from view. Dooku had always told her how beneficial it was for one to ask questions and seek answers to contradictions. Before he had disappeared, as Heshtal believed he had, he had told her that darkness tends to lurk in the brightest of places. At the time she hadn’t understood what he meant, but when she had begun asking questions about the Order’s past and the Sith she was met with two more attempts by Master Windu, and others, to get her expelled from the Order. It wasn’t that she wanted to become a Sith, she just wanted to better her understand of both light and dark aspects of the Force and how they interacted and balanced the universe. Somehow, that intention may have been lost in translation. However, now that she had gotten her hands on a coveted slicer’s kit, she believed she may be able to gain some insight into the hidden nature and history of the Order.

But first, she needed to find a way out of the temple and escape into the city to find the tools to deactivate and modify her kit. Heshtal stood up feeling quite energetic all of a sudden. The horror of her dream long forgotten and stored in her mind as her new objective was to sneak out of the temple and engage in some, less than Jedi worthy, activities. The thought brought a giddy feeling to her stomach that she rarely experienced in the boring diplomatic lifestyle the Council forced upon her. If she could have blushed from the excitement her green skin would have been spotted red from the prospect of unauthorized adventure. Heading back to her chamber, she almost skipped along but was able to restrain her emotions enough to only have an extra bounce in her step as she passed the other Jedi and learners who walked through the halls. She needed a disguise. Even with her limited wardrobe and singular outfit, she knew her talent with the Force and the instruction she had received from Dooku would assist her in her self-assigned mission. Glancing around her quickly, Heshtal then slid the slicer’s kit out of its hiding spot and stowed it deep within the folds of her robes where it wouldn’t be visible as she walked. Deftly recalibrating her left arm’s circuits, she sat down on the floor of her chamber and focused her energy. Feeling the Force move around and through her, she asked it to grant her wish and assist her in her escape from the temple. She felt the nature of light and Force energy around her bend and as she opened her eyes, she knew for a period of time the Force would grant her a nature of invisibility to others. Getting up quickly, she placed a small holoprojector on the floor where she had been sitting and let it illuminate and project the image of her sitting in meditation. It was time to make her daring escapade outside of the temple, once again, without the Council’s permission.


	2. Peaceful Negotiations

Heshtal carefully navigated her way through the halls being careful to tread lightly as well as avoid all who she may end up running into. The Force may have provided her a shielding cover, however, it wasn’t going to let everything be so easy for her as to muffle her footsteps. There were few she knew who would be able to sense her in her cloaked state, unfortunately, one such individual was standing next to the Temple’s main entrance, Obi Wan, one of her few friends. Quickly analyzing the situation, she knew she would have to navigate around through one of the smaller exits from the temple, but she didn’t move quick enough. She saw Obi’s eyes dart over in her direction and felt his eyes piercing through her veil. 

“Dam it.” She began to backpedal and spun around for a quick retreat but could hear Obi Wan excuse himself from his discussion. She had too much planned to be caught in the act of defying the council again. Let alone, once again disappoint a friend. Skirting around the corner towards the nearest exit, Heshtal could hear Obi Wan’s footsteps quicken slightly and advance in her direction. Ever since he had been named a Jedi Master and given a seat on the council he had made it increasingly more difficult for her to pursue her semi-rebellious interests outside of the temple. There was a positive twist though, Obi Wan’s padawan, Anakin, was just about as rebellious as she was. As soon as Anakin came to mind, Heshtal knew there was one way she could get Obi Wan off her tail. Quickly and nimbly moving through the Jedi and scholars wandering the halls, she began looking for Anakin. If she could just find a way to get him into trouble, Obi Wan would have to give up his pursuit of her to take care of his unruly student. As she thought through this plan, for a split second, she forgot the direction she was heading and turned a corner only to be greeted by a dead end hallway. 

“Blasted temple” she thought before turning around hoping to be able to double back. Unfortunately, Obi Wan had been able to catch up to her quicker than she had calculated. As soon as she turned around, Obi Wan turned the corner blocking her escape. 

“Heshtal, what do you think you’re doing?” His disappointed and concerned look made her feel a bit guilty that she was cloaked so she released her concentration and let the veil fall. 

“What am I supposed to do? They’ve got me cooped up inside this stuffy temple. I have to do something for fun don’t I?” She crossed her arm across her chest and shifted her stance to a more relaxed and nonchalant position. “I have research to complete and it isn’t exactly the kind that I can do within these walls or with a sentinel watching.”

“Heshtal. You are the most reckless Jedi I have met second to Qui-Gon. I mean seriously. Do you think your disappearance, even for a moment, would go unnoticed by the council?” 

“They’ve turned a blind eye before. Why do you think I’m still hanging around here? They both want to be rid of me, but also want me to stay. It’s a trait of mine I have come to embrace and utilize.”

“What happens when they finally decide to expel you from the order? Don’t forget the trouble you caused when you roped Anakin into your shenanigans. Took us long enough to clean that mess up. We don’t need another one?” He leaned against the wall giving her a brotherly, but disapproving, look. 

“Oh come on. You know how curious I can get. Once I have a goal in mind I need to reach it. Especially when it comes to gaining a better understanding of the world and the Force. If I don’t know more I will be weak. The more I learn the stronger I get. I’ve already read almost everything within the library. There is more on the outside that needs to be discovered. Secrets that need uncovering. What if I’m able to discover a plot to over throw the Republic? That would be invaluable information, but right now I’m being penned up in the temple away from access to knowledge. Master Yarell taught me to seek answers to my questions. This little escapade is necessary for the advancement of my skills and talents.” Breathlessly, Heshtal finished her rant before she truly thought through everything she was saying. Quickly she clapped a hand over her mouth to prevent it from spewing more nonsense that may get her into trouble. However, instead of being upset, Obi Wan just began to laugh and shake his head. 

“If there ever was an incorrigible one, it would be you. You’re hopeless. No wonder the council has told me to be sure you and Anakin aren’t in a room alone together ever again. You’d both bring the whole temple down with your antics.” He smiled before saying, “I know I can’t prevent you from attempting to sneak out again, so please don’t be too reckless. Ok? And you can’t blame me for letting you go if or when you get caught. Got it? I may be your friend, but that doesn’t mean I wish to go down with you on this matter.” Obi Wan gave Heshtal a serious look before shaking his head once again and turning around walking back down the hall. 

“What a butt.” She thought before focusing her energy once again and cloaking herself in the Force. She knew she was already on thin ice with the council. As Obi Wan had said, she had gotten Anakin into some antics that almost cost her her place within the Order. That mess had taken many droids many days to clean up. The duel was worth it though. Anakin was quite skilled with his saber and she had egged him on to the point that he felt it was necessary to facilitate a duel of honor against her. Naturally, he had lost as he was only a padawan, but Heshtal had needed to fight quite hard to stay ahead of him. Someday he would surpass her, she knew that to be true, but she still reveled in the hard won victory. Shaking her head to clear it of the reminiscing, she made her way to the main entrance once again and, this time, out into the sun. Being outside the temple now, she broke into a run. She needed to find an air speeder or other method of transport. Luckily she was near the station where she dropped her force cloak, disguised herself, and slipped upon the nearest airbus. Thankfully she had learned methods of utilizing the force to alter other’s perceptions of one's self and was able to hide her Jedi attire. It wouldn’t do any good to become a spectacle. 


	3. Shady Dealings and a Glimpse of Freedom

For a few years now, Heshtal had been sneaking out of the temple to visit an old friend. His name was Jama. Deep within Coruscant, this old Jawa was well known for his skills in building droids, but Heshtal knew him better for his talent with hacking and technological enhancement. He was the one who had taught her and guided her as she built and customized her metal arm. He’d even helped her integrate her Jedi communicator with her arm and make it indistinguishable to the naked eye. With the flick of her wrist she could activate it and deactivate it with ease. The number of knickknacks, tools, and weaponry she was able to incorporate into her arm and customize wouldn’t have been possible without this little Jawa’s careful tutelage. However, she now had more questions for him. Not of how she could customize her arm. But of how to make this slicer’s kit her own and how to use it to gain access to knowledge that was currently barred from her. 

The airbus moved along quickly putting more and more distance between Heshtal and her “prison” as she would have called it. Hopping from airbus to airbus, soon she stood looking down an alley that lead to her friend’s shop. Stepping into a dark corner and dropping her disguise, she pulled her outer cloak tightly around her and proceeded down the dark alley and into the droid creation and repair shop. She was greeted by the familiar smell of oil and grease with the occasional whiff of tobacco smoke. Jama may have been old, but his love of a good cigar hadn’t left him yet. She carefully stepped around the many droids and spare parts that lay strew about the shop glancing around for the small figure. “Jama?” Heshtal heard a clanging of metal hitting the floor and a flurry of Jawaese curses spew out from behind a wall of astromech parts. “You okay over there old firend?” A small robed figure shuffled out from the back and looked up at her with his glowing yellow eyes.

“I’m in perfect health. What the blazes do you think you’re doing asking such a ridiculous question girl.” His hand went up to the cigar hanging out of his mouth and between his face wrappings. Upon taking it out, he blew a cloud of smoke in Heshtal’s direction before replacing the cigar in his mouth and turning back to a droid he was working on. “What business do you have coming here in broad daylight. It’s bad for business to have a Jedi around.”

“Jama. You know it’s even riskier for you to blatantly tell the whole world who’s visiting. I wanted to ask you a favor if that is possible.” She sat down in the only vacant floor space she could find between all of the disorganized chaos. 

“Really now. What could have been so dad-gum pressing it couldn’t have waited till next week.” He didn’t turn around but kept focusing on the mess of wires before him.

“Well, I happened to get my hands upon a rare and rather valuable item. I was wondering if you would be interested in assisting in the exploration and deactivating of said item.” As she said this she glanced around her and slid the slicer’s kit from beneath her robes and placed it before her. With this intriguing notion of a new toy to play with, the Jawa glanced over his shoulder towards her before his eyes went wide. Quickly he dropped the wires and ran over to the entrance. Pushing a button the large doors closed and closed the shop off from the alley. 

“Where did you get that? It is no tool for a Jedi to possess. Who gave it to you? Where was it? Why do you have it?” The rate at which Jama shot questions at her made Heshtal smile. It always was satisfying when she could bring something in that impressed and made her old teacher intrigued and interested in her experiences.

“I picked it up on Nal Hutta. It was lying out and I just happened to pick it up before we left the system. I thought you might be able to help me out in deactivating its self-destruct mechanism and get it customized for my own…personal use.” Jama’s eyes flicked from the kit up to Hestal and back to the kit. 

“The Hutt’s had this?... I guess I might be able to help…. But if anyone comes asking around I am not to be blamed if you get blown up by a bounty hunter or incinerated by a Hutt. Maybe then I’ll be rid of you and not have to deal with your insistent questions.” Although he had a gruff and abrasive manner, Heshtal knew he didn’t mean what he said. She knew if she didn’t come by once in a while Jama would become lonely and eventually miss her. Suppressing a grin, she agreed to his terms and they began to work on deactivating the kit and modifying it to her personal specification as well as making it compatible with her arm. 

Through some modification, both she and the Jawa were able to fix up the kit and get a remote connection between it and her arm set up for when she may need to use the kit under extreme emergency situations. What jolted them from their focus and work was Heshtal’s communicator began to beep incessantly before a voice came through. It was Obi Wan. “Heshtal! The council is very disappointed and frustrated with you. You had better get back to the temple as soon as possible. Things for you are already in a bad way. You have gone and made them worse, I’m afraid. They are about to send out the sentinels to retrieve you. If you return of your own accord, and soon, I believe I can soften the council’s decision, but I don’t want to give you too much hope. Just get back here. Now!” Obi Wan’s voice disappeared and left the room silent but for the hum of the machinery around them. 

“I’m sorry Jama. Guess I have to go. When Obi Wan is that frustrated and begins to raise his voice that means something truly won’t go well for me. Thank you for your help. I believe the kit will function quite well for me now. Especially with the integration of my arm. Is there any way I can repay your kindess?” The Jawa looked up at her as she stood and wrapped her cloak back around her shoulders. He grunted and went back to his work without another word to her. “Thank you Jama. Until I see you again.” She placed 200 credits upon the bench behind him before slipping out the door and back into the alley. What used to have streaks of sunlight was now almost completely darkened. Looking up, Heshtal could see that she had spent well over the amount of time she had planned for working on the kit. No wonder the council had discovered her escape. With a heavy sigh she pulled her hood further over her head and made her way back to the airbus platform and finally back to the temple. 

Upon her arrival four sentinels rushed up and surrounded her. The escorted her back into the temple and all the way to the council’s meeting chamber. She could hear Obi Wan inside filibustering as to buy her a few more minutes. His chatter about the ideals of the Jedi and how it wasn’t the Jedi way to be this frustrated with a knight of the order made her chuckle. He was always one for long winded speeches and lectures. She only heard a little bit of the speech, however, because the sentinels pushed her into the chamber causing Obi Wan to cut his speech short with the comment, “Ah. See. I knew she would arrive shortly.” 

Heshtal stood and shifted her weight awkwardly in the middle of the room before the council. The silence was a bit more than she could bear even though it had only been a few moments. Finally, someone spoke. “I believe we have made a decision as to what action we must take concerning Heshtal and her repeated transgressions against the Order and our council.” Not surprisingly the voice was Master Windu’s, but he was quickly countered by Master Yoda who said, “Unexpected this is. Trusted you we did. Broken that now is. Never the less. A proposition do we propose. A new position perhaps on Ossus has been made. A sentinel you wish to become, do you not?” He paused waiting for Heshtal to speak up.

“Yes Master. If that is a wish that could be granted, I would very much like to guard our temples with my life.” 

“Good. Good, good. Now. Ossus you must go. To your new station you will be transported. Exile it may be, but one that will teach discipline I think. Reject this the council does?” This time it was a pause to see if anyone would speak up against Master Yoda. Heshtal saw Master Windu take a breath and open his mouth as if to speak before slowly closing it once again. “Good, good. Reject the council does not. A great asset you may be, but a more dangerous influence you may be. Discipline you must learn. Yes. Suits you, diplomacy does. Have use of that skill we may still. However. Exile and discipline. Discipline and exile. Learn you must. Prepare to leave you will.” As Master Yoda finished speaking reality hit Heshtal as she began to understand what he meant. She was free. They were removing her from her prison in Coruscant. Freedom and knowledge of a new world was about to be hers. She didn’t care if it was an exile. Her mind was filled with thoughts of what she may discover at the Temple on Ossus. She also was elated to have been deemed worthy of being placed as a sentinel at one of the Jedi temples. As she left the council chamber, she could barely restrain herself from skipping out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind her, she skipped and danced down the hall before regaining composure enough to make it back to her room. She may have to say good bye to some friends, but she knew adventure and new knowledge of the Force as well as the Jedi were about to be hers.


	4. Two Halves of One Whole

As the starship came out of hyperspace, Heshtal looked out of the window to see what would be her new home. A vast expanse of blues and greens covered the beautiful orb that they were now approaching. Somewhere on the planet’s surface below was the Ossus Jedi Temple. She was surprised by the vast expanse below her and the lushness that spread before her as in her research, she had read much about this small planet in the Outer Rim Hutt controlled space. She had learned of its great destruction by the Cron Cluster that had left it desolate and barren with nothing but uninhabitable sands and storms of all kinds as well as how it made its recovery and came back to a semblance of its former glory. There was so much history upon this planet and she couldn’t wait to discover all of its secrets. Now this planet bore a lesser known Jedi Academy with its own history and knowledge. This academy, or temple, was a smaller one that typically was known as the place unruly Jedi would be sent when the council didn’t know what to do with them. Before she had left, Obi Wan had apologized to her that he wasn’t able to do more to help her case. Heshtal had dismissed this apology at once as she had been given the freedom that she had desired in the first place. While she may be exiled to an Outer Rim planet, she was being granted her wish to become a Jedi sentinel. A position she had been wishing to obtain for the past ten years. While she may have been sent there to learn discipline and balance between herself and the force, Heshtal wasn’t worried about that. It was a new adventure all together to be given a new home.

Breaking through the clouds and descending onto the landing platform, Heshtal checked her belongings making sure everything was accounted for before finally proceeding out of the ship with the escort of the council sentinels that had been sent with her as an insurance policy by Master Windu. He wasn’t taking any chances with her although Heshtal was more excited about being stationed on a new planet than she was finding pure freedom among the stars as a rogue Jedi. Walking towards them from the temple was a human who appeared to be in his late 30s to mid-40s. His gait was brisk and determined while behind him two Ossus temple sentinels followed in tight formation. “Greetings Heshtal. We have been expecting you. It has been long since a Togruta of your caliber was sent to our temple. You have already been graciously accepted into our Order. I trust your travel was uneventful?” He paused waiting for a response, but Heshtal didn’t say anything. Instead she looked up at the beautiful exterior of the temple and smiled.

“What secrets this place may hold. There must be centuries of knowledge stored within these halls. I am impressed at the beauty that this place possesses. Where will I be staying? Is there a library? This may be an exile, but it is one I am so glad to have received. You must show me what is within, please. I can feel the history swirling around within.” At this point, Heshtal finally came to her senses and realized who she was speaking to. Her chatter quickly faded and she gave a slight bow. “I’m sorry. That was abrasive of me. It wasn’t intended Grand Master. I pray you will forgive me. I am sincerely sorry for my poor presentation.” A laugh emanated from the man before her and she looked up hesitantly. He was smiling and laughing while waving off the sentinels behind her.

“You are free to leave. She is in good hands here on Ossus. Inform the council that her training and discipline begins today.” He shooed the sentinels back onto their ship which quickly lifted off and disappeared into the sky. “Heshtal. You are quite forgiven. I understand why you were sent to me now. I have taken in many black sheep and you are no exception. My name is Grand Master Valen. I have been informed about your, shall I say, abrasive mannerisms and have been readied. Your apology is accepted. While here I think it would be good for you to continue your studies as much as your future missions allow. From what I hear you are still a valuable diplomatic envoy to the Order.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and invited her to walk along next to him towards the temple. “I sense two strong aspects of the Force residing within you. I think your first focus, rather than knowledge and history gathering, will be to steady the disparity and quench the war that still rages in silence within.”

While Grand Master Valen continued to inform Heshtal of her new duties, present her with her sentinel robes, and assign her tasks to further her understanding of the Force, she began to realize that others in the temple were looking towards her. However, it wasn’t with the usual distain and arrogant looks that she usually received from fellow Jedi. These looks were ones of compassion, kindness, and understanding. There seemed to be an air of peace and tranquility surrounding everyone and everything. The Force itself seemed to be at peace. It was a very different feel than the one she usually experienced back on Coruscant. Back there, the Force seemed to be fighting with itself. It would pull in two different directions at once and made it more difficult for her to focus during her meditations. The feeling she felt now was one that made her sleepy and calm, but it was one that also made Heshtal hopeful that her connection to the Force may become strong enough to quell her internal struggle as Dooku had encouraged her to do.

“Here is your chamber. I hope it satisfies you. If ever you need anything, I am always here to assist those who wish to further their understandings and become better connected to the Force and mend their open wounds.” With that, Heshtal was left alone within her new chamber. Instead of a tiny window close to the ceiling, there was a large window that overlooked the vast expanse of Ossus. It was a truly beautiful sight to behold. She felt the turmoil within subside as her gaze wandered over the horizon and up at the two moons that hung like pearls in the sky.

“I could get used to this, I don’t know about you my friend.” In the silence, Heshtal heard a response from a voice that she had only interacted with once or twice before. Instead of the cruel and angry tone it usually possessed, it now sounded almost thoughtful. _“I guess you may be right. There is something different here. A strange peace within the Force. Like two halves coming together and creating a whole. A one.”_ Heshtal smirked. “It’s been too long since we last spoke. How much has changed. Maybe we can find peace once again as well. Maybe we can become two halves of a whole?” _“It may be possible. Someday. If we stay put for once.”_ Sitting down on the floor and crossing her legs, she began to focus, letting every bone and muscle in her body find relaxation and rest. The one-ness that had radiated around her now began to flow through and fill her. She felt strengthened and rejuvenated. “We have to find an understanding of this peace before we can pursue any more reckless knowledge. Do we have an agreement?” There was a long pause while she waited for a response from within. _“I agree to the proposition.”_ For the first time since the loss of her arm and master, Heshtal felt like she was a whole being for that moment sitting on the floor of her chamber.


	5. 10 Years and a Warning

~~~

During her exile, the years seemed to pass quickly. It was something that Heshtal had never experienced before. Back at the temple on Coruscant, time had never seemed to pass fast enough. Ossus was different. Now there didn’t seem to be enough time for her to truly learn everything she desired. Her connection with the Force only grew and matured as well. Not only was the Force peaceful and calm, it was even and smooth opposed to jagged and rough and always fighting itself. The training Grand Master Valen had assigned her alongside her new duties as a sentinel guard and the missions the Council sent her on left her both physically sore and mentally exhausted. However, despite the difficult training, Heshtal could feel her bond with her alter ego growing stronger and being perfected. It wasn’t long before she was able to communicate freely with it and had control over her personality and mannerisms without fear of lashing out in anger or aggression. It was a feeling of two halves finding their balance and becoming one. She was one again. One Heshtal. Two personalities with different talents, but one person. Nothing had felt better since the loss of her master and friend Dooku. 

It was during her exile on Ossus that she learned of Dooku’s demise and how he had been killed by who was once or twice referred to as Darth Tyranus. He still looked like her old friend, but his actions against the Jedi and the Republic continued to show his unfortunate turn of heart. When once he would have been a great Jedi master and teacher, he was now gone and was replaced by a power-hungry man who would pursue his interests to the fullest of his desire. When this news reached her, Hestal’s connectedness with both sides of the Force, light and dark, faltered as the dark side began to cloud her mind. At one point it almost consumed her as she wallowed in the memories of her losses and what had been stolen from her. However, Grand Master Valen could sense the darkness that was growing within her heart and came to her aid as council, guidance, and as a friend. He himself had walked through this dangerous path before and aided Heshtal on her journey and, as a result, guided her back to the balance. She came out of this dark place quite changed. A new person emerged with a better understanding of the meaning of life and death. While she already accepted both halves of the Force readily, she grew to understand that without death there could be no life. Death was just a balance to life. While it was to be mourned, death and loss weren’t things for one to linger upon. Lingering would lead to anger and despair. Anger and despair would lead to aggression. Aggression would lead to chaos. Chaos would lead to an imbalance within the Force itself. However, one must mourn losses for too long and they must accept the fates of oneself and others as well as the realities of the universe so as to avoid ignorance and apathy. Apathy would lead to inattentiveness. Inattentiveness would lead to an imbalance in the Force as well. One imbalance would be too dark and the other would be too light. Heshtal emerged from her loss of Dooku accepting her role to be a guardian of the balance. If the darkness grew too big, she vowed to pursue a means of ridding the galaxy of the dark imbalance. The same went for the light. If the light grew too bright and began leading to apathy and inattentiveness, she vowed to pursue the means of inviting just enough chaos into the galaxy to balance out the light. While the Force stayed balanced, she would seek knowledge and research as she always had. This was the biggest revelation that Heshtal experienced as well as the greatest trial she had faced since becoming a Jedi.

Before she knew it, 10 years had passed on Ossus, but it felt like 2. As her tenth year came to a close, she finally felt a oneness with the Force she had never felt before. As Master Yoda had said during that fateful meeting with the Council, Ossus was a good place for her to learn discipline, as she found methods of composing her socially awkward and misfit personality enough to refine her diplomatic arts while also inviting enough chaos for her to feel justified in asking questions and acting of her own accord when she deemed utterly necessary. 

Her 10 year exile wasn’t all discipline, guard duty, missions and research though. The other Jedi at the temple had quickly grown fond of her because of her intriguing and nonconforming behavior. One of her favorite pastimes, when possible, was the pursuit of drinking games and wagers placed upon such games. Her fellow Jedi knew she could be a good rule follower when she desired to be, but they also knew she was good for an exciting evening if she met an individual she felt required a challenge of the alcohol infused nature. Secretly, over those years hiding talents and abilities in her chambers on Coruscant, Heshtal had been able to perfect a force enhanced breathing technique that was only amplified and mastered with her now improved Force connection. Utilizing this technique she had successfully gained herself a reputation on Ossus for being the Jedi who could hold her drink. While many foes fell before her, she never appeared to become drunk or intoxicated in the slightest. Many times Heshtal thanked the Force for assisting in neutralizing the alcoholic toxins as she drank, otherwise, she knew she would have already died from alcohol poisoning by this time. Grand Master Valen had given her lectures about the reckless behavior but knew he wouldn’t be able to forbid her from being reckless as he saw it was within her true nature to be kind, caring, and protective but also be fun loving and one to disobey rules if she saw fit. 

~~~

One day, the day marking her 10th year since her arrival, after being relieved of her post, Heshtal was approached by Grand Master Valen who had a concerned look. “Heshtal, may I have a word with you as we walk?” He fell into step beside her and guided them both into a small courtyard garden. “I just received a transmission from the Council regarding you. Master Yoda was saying how pleased he was with your successes on the diplomatic missions they have sent you on, but he did mention that he was afraid even more difficult tasks would soon befall you. Ones that may cost you, or your friends, your lives. He didn’t say how he knew this and I am not sure myself why he even mentioned it, but I wanted to warn you. Master Windu has been after you for a while and we both know he still desires your expulsion from the Order. I wouldn’t be surprised if he decided to test your limits with a life endangering mission.” His brows furrowed in a confused but concerned look. “You have been a great friend, just don’t let your connection with the Force leave you blinded. That is the biggest mistake of a Jedi.” He gave her a nod before quickly leaving before Heshtal had a chance to reply.   
Her previous brisk pace through the halls back to her chambers was slowed as she pondered his words. She thought of the trials she had already faced and the few missions she had been sent upon on the Jedi’s behalf. Nothing came to mind that would have hinted at future dangers that Grand Master Valen had eluded to. Reaching her chamber, she sat down upon the floor and closed her eyes. Focusing her mind and feeling the Force’s motion she let her mind wander hoping that somewhere she may see something that could give her insight into the warning she had just received. Letting out a deep breath she opened her eyes again and looked about the small room. Nothing came to her. Nothing made her feel uneasy. She felt there may be something being hidden from her vision, but it was cloudy. The only thing that had come to her was the color red. Red had never been a peaceful color from her experiences, but it also wasn’t a violent color. Feeling more confused than before she laid down looking up at the ceiling. Its clean white color calmed her feelings and let her mind wander further from the warning. If there truly would be danger ahead, she decided to face it when it came. If she had the opportunity to prevent chaos, she would, but without a better understanding of the color and the warning from Valen, she decided to settle her mind and leave it be for the night. Maybe the answer would come to her at a later date.


	6. Diplomacy Turned Sabotage

It had been about a week since Grand Master Valen had given her his warning and it still confused Heshtal whenever she thought about it. Her vision of the bright and fiery read only made her nervous as it reminded her of the man who had killed her master all those years ago. If her vision meant that he would be returning she knew she would need to be ready. For that reason, she spent most of her time while off duty honing her saber dueling skills and keeping an eye out for news regarding the republic and rebellions in the galaxy. Recently she had gone on a diplomatic mission to Tatooine where she had learned of unrest throughout the senate among the systems. Things weren’t feeling as peaceful and congruent anymore. She even learned of rebels on the planet Mandalore who were calling themselves Death Watch. Their activist members were ravaging the planet calling for a return to the past military strength and prowess they had possessed before duchess Satine Kryze lead the planet into, as they called it, “apathy, foolish peace, and separation from their roots.” 

Heshtal continued to have visions of red, sometimes lightning would spread across the backdrop before fading to black and revealing nothing more. The force even showed her the unrest that was boiling underneath the surface of the republic, but the source was never revealed to her. An alliance had been formed among the Trade Federation, Commerce Guild, InterGalactic Banking Clan, Techno Union, and the Corporate Alliance. This alliance had taken the name of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and was in the process of trying to collect other systems and strengthen their Confederacy. This was a threat to the Republic, and Heshtal knew this as she was asked to travel to systems on the Republics behalf and ensure that these systems either stayed neutral or joined the Republic itself. Each one of these missions were exhausting and caused Heshtal’s uneasy feeling to only grow as hostility seemed to be right around the corner. She continued to thank the force that she hadn’t fallen into a dangerous conflict on her numerous diplomatic missions. 

During her daily station at the entrance of the temple she and her fellow guard were given word that a ship would be arriving from the Jedi temple on Coruscant. Apparently they were coming to retrieve one of those living upon Ossus for a sudden mission to Mandalore. Heshtal didn’t understand it, but she felt more nervous and anxious than before as the force seemed to writhe with unrest. It was a strange feeling, one that Heshtal remembered feeling back on Coruscant. The force wasn’t truly at peace anymore, but she couldn’t tell why. 

Relatively soon after being given word about the coming ship, Heshtal saw it break through the clouds above and begin to descend towards the landing platform before her. Grand Master Valen, accompanied by his personal guardians came out of the temple and advanced towards the ship as it’s hatch opened revealing a young looking Pantorian woman. Heshtal could see from her robes that she was a Jedi knight, but could feel the nervous energy radiating from the Pantorian as she walked down the ramp towards the Grand Master. Heshtal couldn’t hear what they were discussing but saw Grand Master Valen nod before turning and waving her over. Quickly, she advanced from her post and came to stand next to Valen before the Pantorian. “Heshtal, you are to be deployed on the mission to Mandalore we had notified you of. It is unexpected that they would require you so soon after your mission to Tatooine, but as I am sure you know, Mandalore was a neutral system but is now being approached by the Confederacy of Independent Systems in hopes of gaining their alliance. Amuna here will give you the detail on your journey to the system. For now, you are relieved of your post.” At that one of the guardians next to Grand Master Valen nodded and advanced to what had been Heshtal’s post next to the temple entrance. “Go and prepare for your journey. I assume there are some items you would like to retrieve from your chambers before you set out.” With a small bow Heshtal thanked Valen and quickly made for her chambers taking her sentinel mask off on the way. Reaching her room she looped the mask strap around her belt and fastened her saber at her side as well. Looking around quickly she slid her hand under her sleeping mat to the small compartment beneath to retrieve her treasured slicer’s kit. Valen had let her experiment with it in secret but had told her if it was found he would have to remove it from her possession, so she kept it stowed while on duty. Now that she was about to head out on another diplomacy mission she felt it might be useful at some point and she quickly tucked it into the folds of her robes behind her back. As she left her chamber, she was met by Grand Master Valen who gave her one quick warning, “As times get more dangerous, I have no doubts the council and a certain member will be looking out to spot any slip up from you. I would advise keeping your cards close to your chest and an eye out for any trials you may face.” With that he departed giving her a quick pat on the shoulder. 

Pondering the word of Valen, Hesthal rejoined the Pantorian, Amuna, on her ship and they set off leaving Ossus behind once again. This time for a mission to Mandalore. One of the planets that even the contemplation of made Heshtal uneasy as if something terrible was about to take place that would send repercussion sounding throughout the galaxy. 

~~~

The journey passed quickly. Faster than Heshtal expected as she only had a few days upon the ship with Amuna and the pilots as they jumped through lightspeed. Amuna quickly got her up to date on the situation surrounding Mandalore. The Confederacy was bringing their hordes of battle droids to the system for a demonstration of their strength due to the impending conflict that was rising within the senate. It surprised her that the rumors of a possible war were looking to be true. It made Heshtal’s nervous feelings and unease make sense. The possibility of war was frightening as it would lead to many losses and Heshtal had felt loss of those close to her and was afraid any more attachments would lead to more heartbreak. Although, the more she thought about it the more she convinced herself that, as a Jedi and a peacekeeper, it was unlikely that she would have to fight in battles during the war. After all. The whole point of the Jedi was to keep the peace and peacefully resolve, or avoid, conflict. She began to relax and rest easier in her seat and the nervous feelings began to subside, however, the uneasiness of the force still was unsettling, and she felt it was trying to tell her something with no avail. 

~~~

Breaking through the clouds covering Mandalore their ship landed safely upon the landing pad. Heshtal donned her sentinel mask as the hatch opened and she and Amuna exited the ship. For a moment it felt peaceful and beautiful, but that quite was broken suddenly when behind them, the ship they had just departed from, burst into flames as a charge was detonated from beneath resulting in the ground beneath the ship fell deep into the depths of Mandalore taking the pilots with it in a ball of fire and debris. Whispering a curse under her breath she looked towards Amuna who was startled and had horror in her eyes. Above she heard a jetpack shooting overhead. Looking up they caught sight of a Death Watch terrorist speeding away towards a commercial landing pad below. She heard numerous more explosions and clattering of debris followed by screams of terror. Glancing at each other, Heshtal and Amuna pulled out their sabers and dashed towards the platform to investigate and see if anyone was in need of help.

Leaping down onto the platform they were greeted with a gruesome sight. There were numerous Mandalorians who had perished under falling debris and even more running in terror as Death Watch terrorist landed in their midst firing their blasters into the thick of the crowd. Behind them they heard the advancing Confederacy battle droids moving in for an attempt at ridding the landing platform of the radical terrorists. Right in front of them Heshtal saw a Mandalorian guard struggling to get up out from under the rubble and a Death Watch terrorist laughing looking down at the guard with his blaster pointed at the man’s head. Using the Force, Heshtal managed to push the Death Watch’s blaster away from the guard’s head right as it went off firing a blaster bolt into the ground instead. Looking up, the Death Watch saw Heshtal and growled as he turned his blasters on her and Heshtal returned the growl while turning on her light shield within her arm. 

Amuna had run down next to the Mandalorian guard and was in the process of pulling him away from the Death Watch terrorist. The terrorist quickly launched his attack towards Heshtal firing volley after volley at her. She managed to block his blaster bolts effectively as they shot towards her. Having fended off the onslaught she rushed the Death Watch member spinning her double saber before slashing up across his chest and down through his body ending his membership with the terrorists. Within her mind, Heshtal quieted her emotions and focused her energy and let her aggressive side out as soon as the Death Watch attacked first. Now, the goal was to save the Mandalorian citizens who were fleeing for their lives. Focusing back on her surroundings she saw as the droids began their attack missing the Death Watch members almost completely and hitting several of the feeling citizens killing them instantly. Angered at the needless death she chose to shut out the activities of the droids and focus on saving those she could with the help of Amuna. Amuna had already rushed to the side of another Mandalorian guard who was about to be gunned down by a Death Watch member and she had thrown her body between the two of them using herself a shield blocking the blaster bolts from hitting the man on the ground. Heshtal watched as the bolts ripped through Amuna’s cloaks and Heshtal could only assume that they had also found their way through her body as well. 

Out of the corner of her eye she even caught a glimpse of a tiny brown robbed creature pop out of existence and reappear within the body of a droid transporter before hearing a cacophonous blast as one of the spider droids began spinning unable to utilize it’s targeting system. Before it blew up shooting more debris across the platform. Some ripping through the torso and neck of a Death Watch member who fell dead on the ground. Focusing her attention back on the Death Watch member who was looming above Amuna preparing to fire another volley into the small Pantorian Jedi’s back, Heshtal raised her mechanical arm and opened her palm in the man’s direction. Using her other hand to adjust the panels on her arm for better accuracy, she took a deep breath and fired two ion bolts in the Death Watch’s direction. They flew swiftly through the air. Both tore through the man’s head and he fell dead next to Amuna. Around them the droids were firing in what appeared to be, to Heshtal at least, an aimless fashion. Most of the droid’s bolts ended up flying through innocent Mandalorians which made Heshtal’s blood begin to boil. The needless life being spilled was an unforgiveable trespass that automatically caused her to despise the battle droids. 

The remaining Death Watch members, seeing more battle droids advancing, quickly made their escape, igniting their jet packs and taking off into the air back to whatever hole or ship they crawled out off. Heshtal deactivated her double saber and placed it back at her side as she went up to Amuna and pulled the Pantorian to her feet. As the conflict vanished into the distance Heshtal caught sight of the small figure who had blown up the spider droid as it jumped down and out of the droid transport and was escorted to the main area where Heshtal and Amuna now stood along with a little red and white BB unit. It was easy to tell it was a jawa, but it confused Heshtal that it was dressed in mandalorian armor from head to toe instead of the traditional jawa robes that she had seen Jama wearing. Surprisingly within short order, the Mandalorian Prime Minister, Almec, escorting the Ambassador to the Dutchess Satine of Mandaore as well as a Banking Clan representative and, from what Heshtal could tell, Magistrate Haalis walked up to them. Behind this entourage, numerous more droids marched into place forming a wall barring exit from the platform. “Well, well.” The Prime Minister began, “It appears the Trade Federation’s droids have done a fine job removing the Death Watch terrorists from our midst, Ambassador. Might we notify Dutchess Satine of the wonderful prospects we have in allying ourselves with the Confederacy?” 

“It wasn’t those damn droids, if I may be so forward, Ambassador.” Heshtal spoke up quickly. “They did nothing but increase the civilian casualties and cause more damage to your landing platform.” She could see the face of Almec contort into a vile glare before quickly returning to a distinguished look of calm.

“I can assure you that this isn’t as the Jedi claims. She appeared with her companion,” he gestured to Amuna, “And only increased the casualties themselves. The Jedi and the republic have nothing to offer in this deal.” 

“I beg to differ. As those of your people who stand before you now and alive. It was the droids who killed a large number of them.” Around them, Heshtal could hear some of the Mandalorian civilians shout in agreement with her and reinforce her statement to the Ambassador. 

“Well, how can we know for certain what you speak of is true.” The ambassador began to stroke his chin thoughtfully. “The civilians may vouch for you, but the Jedi’s reputation upon our fine planet has been a spotted one. Is there proof   
you may offer?” Standing up straighter Heshtal pointed to a camera hanging over the landing platform. 

“How about you have one of the droids retrieve the surveillance footage that I assume gets saved for a later date.” As Heshtal said this, an evil smirk crossed Almec’s face. “Young Jedi, you are a fool. We already checked the footage, of which there is none, and have found that Death Watch had sabotaged our surveillance before they began their attack. You severely underestimate the enemy you were facing which is why the droids of the Confederacy are such an admirable investment…” Before Almec could continue a different voice joined the conversation. This time, it emanated from the small Jawa that had caused much destruction to the droid army. “Do we have a droid commander head I could use?” Everyone was a bit startled by the deep voice that came from the jawa, it was uncharacteristic of it’s nature, but the ambassador quickly replied. “You have access to any of the downed droids on this platform. If I may ask. Why are you in need of such a thing?”

“If the cameras are dead then we can easily find out what the droids were ordered to do on this platform and see if the jedi is telling the truth.” With that he shuffled to a droid with the BB unit following closely behind him. Deftly, the jawa attached the head to some cables within the BB and a hologram was displayed playing back the last orders the droid received before its demise. “Your squadron is to advance upon the landing platform as soon as Death Watch begins their attack. While there, you are ordered to fire without discretion. The more civilians you hit the better…” The hologram faded out leaving the rest of the orders unknown, but the voice giving them couldn’t be mistaken for anyone’s but Almec’s. Looking at the ambassador, Heshtal could see he was livid. He turned to Almec, “Well. It would seem you are mistaken Prime Minister. Your wonderful admiration of the droid armies is foolishly placed.” He turned to Heshtal, Amuna, and the Jawa. “I thank you for this information and insight. I believe it is time that the Duchess…” His sentence was cut short as a blaster fired and the bolt ripped through his head ending his life instantly. 

“Oops. An accident has been made upon this platform. Seize the Jedi and the Jawa.” Droids quickly circled them grabbing their arms and pulling them roughly behind their backs while removing their weapons. “The Dutchess will be very disappointed to hear about the death of her ambassador at the hands of the Republic’s Jedi ambassadors. How unfortunate.” Heshtal smirked. “Ah. So your true colors come out. It was wonderful to get to meet you too. I am sure we shall meet again eventually with the Dutchess fully informed of your actions, of course. Have fun being a butt.” Internally, Heshtal punched herself for her last words as they were so far from professional that it was insane, but she didn’t have much time to ponder her regret before the three of them were thrown into the back of a transport. “Jedi you are a much a fool as I expected.” Almec’s sneer was sinister and held a hint of triumph as well. “You shall not have the chance to meet the Dutchess. She is much too busy. You also will be going to a place no one returns. Your Republic peace has hindered me for the last time.” Almec turned to an individual that Heshtal couldn’t quite see outside the darkened interior of the transport. “Bury them in the deepest hole in Mandalore.”


	7. Blades of Death

The ride in the transport was a quite but smooth one. No one said anything. Amuna huddled in the corner of the transport hugging her knees while the jawa sat against the wall eyeing the two of them with an arm around the small BB unit. Heshtal made casual glances in his direction as she gathered what information she could from his attire. It was definitely Mandalorian in design and quality, but she couldn’t understand how a jawa could be affiliated with the banished Mandalorian warriors. “No hard feelings, Mandalorian. I’m Heshtal, that young girl over there, that’s Amuna. Might I inquire as to your name my friend.” There was silence in the transport before a quick and turse phrase emanated from the jawa in a voice that was much lower than traditional jawa voices Heshtal had heard. Even deeper than Jama, her jawa friend from Corusant’s, voice. “Lo-Fi. But I am not a friend of yours yet Jedi.”

“Dually noted. I am pleased to meet you. Should we get out of this situation, I would gladly fight by your side. As we know for certain now, we have a common enemy. The Confederacy has nothing good in mind for any who oppose it.” There was silence in the transport after these words left Heshtal’s mouth. Sensing no one was in a talking mood, she resigned herself and relaxed best she could against the wall getting some rest in before they reached whatever destination was ahead of them. 

~~~

There was a lot of clattering and Heshtal could hear the release of couplings as the door to the transport opened and light poured into the dimly lit interior. Heshtal shielded her eyes from the glare as she and the others got to their feet. It didn’t take her long to realize they weren’t on Mandalore anymore, nor were they in the Separatist’s hands. They could see the planet of Mandalore on the horizon as well as many, many Trade Federation cruisers creating a perimeter around the planet. 

Before them, large squads of Death Watch members lined the pathway before them. The path lead to a large ring with what looked like stadium seating. Heshtal quickly deduced that there was going to be a fight and they were the entertainment. A Death Watch member walked up to her and before she could say anything, there was a snap and her mechanical arm jolted from the impact. Looking at what had been done, she saw that the member had placed a restraining bolt on her arm which made it harder for her to control its movements. Internally she started to get worried even though externally she made sure to not show it. If her arm was out of commission and since she didn’t have her saber, she knew she would have little chance of surviving any kind of fight. Be it man, or beast, Heshtal knew her only assets were the force and what she had programmed into her arm. Not to mention her tracking beacon was also a part of the arm. She cursed the fact the Death Watch knew of the arm too. She had always been careful to keep its mechanical nature hidden as a kind of secret weapon, but now it was no secret to these enemies. 

While Heshtal began to puzzle through potential methods of escape, the three of them were quickly marched out of the transport and into the ring while Lo-Fi’s droid was grabbed, retrained and taken away. It wasn’t a big stadium pit, but the seats were already teaming with Death Watch members who were shouting and jeering down at them. Lo-Fi actually began cheering with them, before realizing the situation he was also in and quieting down. Behind them, there was a sizzle followed by a steady hum that let Heshtal know they had raised an electrified barrier behind them to prevent any escape from the pit. It actually reminded her of the fights she had watched while on diplomatic missions with the Hutts, but there she had been an observer of entertainment, here, she was the entertainment itself. The cheers and taunts from the Mandalorians quieted down and they all looked to a box at the middle of the stands. A man stood there in full armor staring down Heshtal, Amuna and Lo-Fi. “Brothers and sisters of Mangalore. Today is a wondrous occasion for us on Concordia. Rarely do we come face to face with an enemy of old, but today we have two of them. These Jedi tried to foil our agreement with the Separatists and in the process killed many of our brothers. For that they must pay with their lives. This young foundling before you proved quite a handful as well and, should he succeed our trial, his punishment may not be so severe. However, on this day, we shall see Jedi blood spilled once again as is their destiny to die. I, Pre Visla, see the sins of the Jedi against Mandalore to be too great. The Mandalorian way has no need for agreements with such sorcerers. Upon our home planet of Mandalore, the Duchess Satine has become soft. She is no true Mandalorian if she gives in so easily to the idea of pacifism. We shall restore our brothers and sisters on Mandalore and reinstitute the true might of the Mandalorian way. Let us begin with the death of these two jedi, and possibly, the death of a weaker brother.”

As Pre Visla’s speech came to an end there was a clang of metal and a grinding of gears as the wall opened and a gigantic, fully gown akalay tore out of the darkness screeching with murder in its eyes. Without thinking, Hesthal called upon the force and caused the ground before the monstrous creature to heave and rupture spouting geysers of rock and dirt high into the air. This slowed the creature down enough for Amuna to run and grab one of the vibro-blades that the Death Watch had dropped into the pit for them to use. This use of the Force also gave rise to a new wave of insults, cussing and jeering from the Death Watch members observing. Heshtal ignored the jeers, but made a note to avoid using the force if possible. She saw there was a second vibro-weapon like the one Amuna had grabbed, but turned her focus to her arm instead to see if anything was potentially operable after the attachment of the restraining bolt and damage it suffered in the battle on Mandalore. She saw, out of the corner of her eye, Lo-Fi snatched a pistol that was left on the pit’s floor and darted towards the akalay who was recovering from the unstable ground it had suddenly been given. The akalay, seeing Lo-Fi dart towards it, zeroed in on the small jawa lashing out at him with its bladed legs in an attempt to trample and rip up the small but brave founding. Though Lo-Fi was small, the akalay had precision with its strikes and knocked the jawa prone on the hard ground. It reared back lifting its front two legs high into the air with intent to finish off the jawa, but as its left made contact, Lo-Fi was fast enough to roll enough to the side that the full force of the creature’s powerful legs didn’t hit him. After a few adjustments, Hesthal raised her mechanical arm and aimed it at the akalay’s head and begged the force to let her arm still work. Focusing, her arm, with all its damage and the attempt by Death Watch to restrain it, sparked and looked about to break before it let loose a trace bolt with precise accuracy finding its resting spot in the akalay’s shoulder. Amuna was close by and looked over at Hestal with worry and fear in her eyes, but she held the vibro-blade with confidence and waited for the akalay to get close enough to attack. 

The akalay, having received a bolt from Heshtal, turned its attention away from the jawa it had been trying to destroy and ended up zeroing in on Amuna as she held a weapon and Heshtal didn’t. It let out an ear piercing screech before reeling back and beginning a charge at the small Pantorian girl. However, before it could get far, Heshtal watched as Lo-Fi leapt up onto the back of the akalay and fired a blaster bolt into the back of the creature’s head. It reared up onto its back legs as the pain from the shot shook it from its focus on Amuna. It began to spin and buck trying to get the jawa off of its back. With that opening, Amuna rushed forwards and landed her attacks deftly with the vibro-blade. Preceisely cutting at its legs adding to its frustration. Hesthal, seeing her arm still worked thanked the force as she watched her two companions, at least in the fight, distract the beast. Releasing two more bolts into the akalay’s head, she back stepped and grabbed the vibro-weapon from the ground and advanced on the akalay landing her strikes as precisely as Amuan. The akalay, now having to deal with all three of them, kicked and spun, it knocked Amuna to the ground and nearly caught Heshtal’s head with its bladed leg narrowly missing the top of her montrals. The sudden spinning of the akalay as we as having watched Amuan fall made Heshtal lose her focus as well as her footing as she fell under the trampling feet of the beast receiving many blows and losing a good deal of blood to the bladed legs. Although, thank the force, her small light shield, projected from her mechanical arm, was able to deflect most of the blows before flickering out and deactivating. Lo-Fi, surprisingly as he was quite small, barely held on but managed to keep his seat on the akalay’s back. He kept it distracted by firing many more blaster bolts into the beast’s head while it spun, bucked, and tried to get him off while also trying to trample the two Jedi at its feet. It caught Amuna in its rage and ended up drawing a good deal of blood as its blades came down numerous times on Amuna’s body before she was able to get up and out of reach. Seeing her fellow Jedi in trouble, Heshtal fired a few more bolts at the creature to distract it and get it to turn away from Amuna before it completed its goal of killing one of them. While paying close attention to the movements of the akalay, Hesthal was relieved when Amuna got to her feet quickly, although be it shakily, and retreated slightly out of the creature’s reach. It began to look like the beast was tiring as it had been unsuccessful in dislodging the jawa from its back and Heshtal could see in its eyes a sense of panicked rage. As it reeled up once again, it turned towards the electrified boundary at the back of the pit and it charged. Before Heshtal could get another strike in or tracer bolt shot, it charged towards the fence with a suicidal rage before slamming into it causing sparks to fly everywhere. It screamed in pain before going limp and falling to the ground. Getting to her feet, Heshtal saw the jawa also slam into the fence and fall to the ground limp. Her heart twisted, but she knew he was still alive as he did try to get up before falling back into the dirt next to the downed, now lifeless, akalay. Heshtal could taste blood and knew some of her ribs had been cracked in the blows dealt by the creature, but she got up and walked over to Amuna who was looking shocked, terrified, but relieved the akalay was dead.

There was silence from the seats around the ring before the air erupted in angry shouts and curses being thrown at them. Heshtal knew it was mostly for her and Amuna as they were Jedi, historic enemies of the Mandalorians. The shouts were quickly silenced again as Pre Visla began to speak. “You have been luck to live Jedi. That is because you had a Mandalorian present in the fight. He fought valiantly. You Jedi fought like cowards. Tomorrow shall be no day of joy for you. As tomorrow you shall meet as your final day within this galaxy.” He turned away and numerous Death Watch members descended into the pit. The grabbed Hesthal and Amuna roughly and dragged them out of the ring while Heshtal saw another group gently pick up Lo-Fi and carry him in the opposite direction. The two of them were escorted to a small tent in the middle of the Death Watch camp before being shoved into it without a word. An overwhelming sense of sadness and loss flowed over Heshtal as she looked around and saw numerous Jedi artifacts, broken sentinel masks, ripped robes, etc. lining the walls of the tent. Amuna looked around at the objects as well and Heshtal could feel the sadness radiating off of her as well. “It’s going to be ok, Amuna. Keep your chin up. It’ll all work itself out.” 

“We will see I guess. Here, let me heal some of that. You look terrible.” Amuna walked over to Heshtal before sitting down and put her hands on the wounds she had sustained from the akalay. Heshtal could feel the force moving around them where they sat and she felt it begin to stitch up the wounds partially. She even saw some of Amuna’s gashes begin to close. 

“Thank you friend. You are quite talented even though you look so young.” Heshtal looked at the Pantorian as she said this and began to wonder why she hadn’t read anything about this young knight in all of her studies and cataloging of padawans within the Jedi order. She decided to ask another day as she settled herself into one of the corners of the tent and began assessing the damage done to her mechanical arm. She could tell the tracking beacon was indisposed as well as her light shield. Both of which, she knew she would need to fix if there was any hope of rescue. While she had activated the beacon on Mandalore during the battle, she knew that any assistance would be at a loss as they didn’t know they had been taken to Concordia instead. Focusing while also keeping an eye on the tent flap, Heshtal pulled a hydro-spanner out of a compartment in her arm and began, as quietly as she could, to repair the damage and get the panels gliding freely once again. Thanking the Force, Heshtal was able to repair the damage quietly enough that the two guards didn’t notice her monkeying with their restraint. One of the guards did look in at one point, but he didn’t notice anything so Heshtal was able to continue her repairs. Thankfully it didn’t take too long and she was able to repair her arm and get all systems running at full speed once again, however, she turned off her beacon/com’s sound system as to not have any noise emit from it when she turned it on, she left the tiny light on however and made sure to wrap it securely with the thick fabric it was shrouded by. Standing up, she began to do stretches to distract from her arm as one of the Death Watch members opened the flap to check on them. “Hello, just doing some stretches. Do you like yoga? I do. You should try it some time.” Heshtal said this cheerily and brightly to the guard who huffed, shook his head and left once again closing the flap. In the midst of these stretches, however, she had twisted her wrist and activated the distress beacon so they could be found on Concorida. If any help was coming that is. Having done what she could, Heshtal sat down on the ground leaning against the back of the tent so as to get some semblance of rest before the next day dawned. Amuna scooted closer and put her head on Heshtal’s leg before drifting off to sleep. Heshtal half smiled at the young Jedi next to her and ran her hand through Amuna’s pink hair. Whatever had made this one become a Jedi with no records fascinated her, but those questions and ponderings were for another day. Now, it was time to wait, watch, and rest. Whatever was coming in the morning needed to be faced with a clear head and rest soon found Heshtal though the night was plagued with the visions of red once again.


End file.
